Xianye

Chapter 489 Donggaozi (Bonus chapter for Alliance Leader Martial God Invincible 1)

Thunder Root Sect —

This is a unique treasure of Yu Chen, said to have been created by the founder of Yu Chen, the Immortal Da Xian, and is extremely rare even within Yu Chen.

Throughout history, apart from the supreme leader who oversees the entire universe and controls heaven and earth, only the Daoist disciples who reside in Mount Xiyi can obtain it.

Even the most accomplished disciples and the highest-ranking Nine Palace Masters would find it extremely difficult to access this item unless they had made truly great contributions or received the rare exception from two or more revered patriarchs who had given their approval!
However, the Thunder Root Sect's function is not in killing enemies or breaking restrictions.

This is a rare and precious treasure for protecting one's life. It is impervious to ghosts and spirits, and cannot be harmed by weapons or poisons. It is also effective in preventing divination and witchcraft.

It can be said that if cultivators possess this treasure, their confidence in surviving will increase several times over, and they can generally protect themselves without worry!
Even if they encounter a powerful cultivator two or three realms higher, they will not be killed in a single encounter, but will be able to hold out for a period of time while waiting for reinforcements to arrive.

As for the Thunder Root Sect, this supreme treasure, Chen Heng was naturally familiar with it given his current status. He also knew that his own Thunder Root Sect was currently in the Void Emperor Heaven, being personally refined by Chen Yu.

Back then, after he achieved the highest rank in alchemy, among the three patriarchs of Yu Chen who governed the world, apart from Shan Jian, Tong Xuan and Wei Ling both nodded in approval, which is why he was able to be granted this treasure as a true disciple.

Among the six true disciples of Yu Chen today, apart from Chen Heng, only Ji Fakai possesses a Thunder Root Sect.

However, whether Ji Fakai truly possessed the Thunder Root Sect is still uncertain, as it is merely a matter of oral tradition, making it difficult to discern the truth.

Some say that this person was granted the Thunder Root Sect by Patriarch Shan Jian because he had cultivated the supreme Dharma form "Later Sage's Radiance," which defied public opinion. Others say that this person was granted the Thunder Root Sect because he handed over an important secret artifact of the Lecenji clan, and the patriarchs of the world, out of the intention to commend his achievements, encourage the masses, and promote him to set an example for the world.

However, there are also rumors that Ji Fakai was valued by Master Shan Jian because he had already been taken as a disciple by Shan Jian, but due to his status as the eldest son of a noble family, it was not easy to announce it to the public.

Given this, it's not too surprising that Ji Fakai, with his achievements, was able to obtain the Thunder Root Sect.

As for the latter, Chen Heng heard it but simply laughed it off.

Not to mention that, given the status of Patriarch Shan Jian, if he wanted to take a member of a noble family as a disciple, no one would dare to object.

Furthermore, the eight factions and six sects never dealt with the twelve aristocratic families by simply attacking and killing them, but rather by recruiting some and attacking others...

At this moment, Chen Heng calmed his mind and temporarily put Ji Fakai out of his mind.

He looked at the Thunder Root Sect artifact spirit who claimed to be Elder Fu, and he was indeed quite suspicious.

Thunderous Root Sect, All-Encompassing Wisdom and Omniscient Lamp...

Judging from the imposing aura that Elder Fu just displayed, which was almost enough to shatter the heavens, it was clear that he was no ordinary Thunder Root Sect and had probably joined the ranks of Immortal Artifacts.

By the same token, the lamp of all-knowing wisdom that is qualified to be shared with the old monk should also be a rare treasure of the Buddhist monks and a sacred object for the pure Zen forest!
These two artifacts, which are incredibly precious even in the vast universe, have been gathered together in this Buddhist Pure Land.

And later, Master Fu will completely seize half of the true consciousness of the All-Knowing Lamp of Wisdom...

Such wondrous techniques are something that even immortal artifacts like the Transcendent Shuttle and the Five Qi Universe Ring have never possessed.

It is likely that even those Dao artifacts below the level of immortal artifacts would find it difficult to seize the true consciousness of their own kind.

Is this a unique and mysterious aspect of immortal artifacts, or does Elder Fu possess other methods that enable him to perform such actions?
What is the purpose of doing this?

However, the most crucial question is what role the Taoist Kongkong played in all of this.

What is his connection with the Thunder Root Sect and the Lamp of Omniscience and All-Knowing Wisdom...?

Seemingly sensing the doubts in Chen Heng's heart, Old Fu smiled slightly. He simply pointed to the ground, and fragrant flowers and plants grew wildly upwards, forming tables, chairs, and other items. Then he beckoned Chen Heng over for a chat.

"When traveling, it's always wise to be cautious. You don't know why I was able to steal the true essence of that lamp..."

Old Fu reached out and gently lifted a green vine, which naturally drooped down. When it touched Old Fu's palm, the vine transformed into a lacquered gold brocade plate.

The plate is laden with wine, meat, delicacies, herbs, vegetables, and fruits. The fragrant wine wafts in the wind, making one's mouth water.

He picked up a snow-white pill, put it in his mouth, smiled smugly, and said:
"That's because I am no ordinary artifact spirit! Long ago, the Lord went to great lengths and used his Great Heavenly Power to obtain a Jade Spirit Pill from the Dao Court for me, which helped me to transform and break through the innate barrier of artifact spirits."

Now I am both the spirit of the Thunder Root Sect, enjoying the long lifespan of a spirit and free from disasters and calamities, and like all living beings of flesh and blood in the world, I can freely comprehend the Great Dao and increase my merits.

The reason I want to devour the true consciousness of the All-Knowing Lamp is that I have learned a heretical secret method that allows me to use the true consciousness of the spirit of the vessel to nourish my own essence.

Since receiving this method, due to its association with Heaven and human sentiment, I have yet to test its power... However, Pure Treasury Buddha and the Lord are enemies of the Great Way, and the Lamp of All-Knowing Wisdom has just happened to fall into my hands. So don't blame me for using his true knowledge to heal my own injuries!

"The Ancient Daoist Court's Dongqing Jade Treasure Spirit Elixir? Can such an elixir really help a spirit break through the limits of innate nature?" Chen Heng was surprised.

He took the jade plate that Master Fu pushed over, and picked up a pill the size of a longan. The pill's fragrance was rich and lingered on his fingertips for a long time, neither musk nor orchid.

This is not a deceptive trick, but a real creation.

And such methods...

As Chen Heng pondered, he gained a deeper understanding of the profound foundation of the ancient Dao Court.

The so-called craftsman is clumsy in his own studio. Although the spirits of artifacts such as the Escape Shuttle and the Five Qi Universe Ring are born with all kinds of powerful abilities and have extremely long lifespans, even surpassing innate gods and monsters, they are generally free from disasters and calamities.

However, the abilities of these artifact spirits are inherently limited.

To improve or enhance a magical artifact, one must rely on the hands of others, either by having the artifact's spirit owner personally intervene or by entrusting a master craftsman to refine the artifact's form and imbue it with restrictions, thereby raising the artifact's grade.

Besides, if a spirit of an artifact wants to break through the barrier and increase its abilities by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, that is undoubtedly a pipe dream.

In this way, there is gain, but also loss.

However, the ancient Jade Spirit Elixir of the Clear Understanding Realm could break through this limitation, allowing the spirit of the artifact to cultivate by consuming qi like a living person. This was truly...

At this moment, Chen Heng put aside his thoughts and, after exchanging a few drinks with Old Fu, finally voiced his doubts.

Old Fu gently placed the wine cup on the table and smiled, saying:

"If you want to know why this Buddhist kingdom is like this, and why I am trapped here, then you need to know the Pure Treasury Buddha, the All-Knowing Lamp of Omniscience, and the Empty-Minded Daoist..."

These things are a long story, let me sort them out first. Right…

At this moment, Old Fu suddenly nodded and asked a question that seemed out of the ordinary:
"With your current level of cultivation, you should be the Dao Child of Yu Chen, right?"

"Senior is too kind. I have not yet been able to become the master of Xiyi Mountain. I am currently just a true disciple." Chen Heng shook his head upon hearing this.

Upon hearing this, Old Fu was somewhat surprised. He looked Chen Heng up and down a few times and said solemnly:
"I haven't returned to Xiaoming Great Swamp for a long time. I never expected that the Jade Emperor Sect would be so prosperous. I have seen many of the talents in ancient times who were bestowed with golden flowers and fire dates and were summoned to heaven. You are by no means inferior to them."

Someone of your stature is actually a true disciple?
Is it that the current Daoist master is superior to you, possessing stronger methods, or is there a true disciple of your generation who can rival you? It seems difficult to determine a winner between the two of you.

When Elder Fu inquired about the lightning magic he had used and failed to recognize it as the Purple Clarity Divine Lightning, Chen Heng knew that this person must have come from ancient times, and might even be a treasured possession of some ancestor.

When Mr. Fu later mentioned the ancient Daoting, it further confirmed Chen Heng's conjecture.

He wasn't surprised by the question, but simply pointed out the key points, which made Old Fu nod in agreement at times and wave his hand and sigh at others.

"Is that so? Junyao, Ji Fakai... two supreme Dharma-forms are indeed rare, so it makes sense."

Although Ji Fakai is from a noble family, if you want to become a Dao Child, you will probably still have to pass through his test when you reach the Nascent Soul realm.

"But Daozi's residence has been changed to Xiyi Mountain. Wasn't it Huqiu Island before? Who changed the rules? In my opinion, it should have been like this long ago!" After listening to Chen Heng's words, Old Fu muttered, then his face showed some displeasure, and he gave a cold laugh:
"And then there are the so-called twelve clans. I knew from the start that leaving behind these bloodline disciples of Xie Gongzai was definitely not a good thing! Sure enough, aren't they now harboring ulterior motives?"

The Lord originally wanted to expel them all from Xudu to eliminate future troubles, but the other immortals hesitated because they were mindful of past relationships, so the matter ultimately failed to be accomplished. What a pity!
As for that Heavenly Venerable Xie Gongzai, this one—"

Old Fu was about to continue, but then he realized he had strayed somewhat from the topic. He shook his head slightly and forced a change of pace:
"Very well, very well, it's just a minor ailment, why bother with further discussion! As for the various questions you asked earlier, the true root of the matter still cannot be separated from my master. With your status, even though you haven't become a Dao Child, you must have heard of him."

"My lord?" Chen Heng thought to himself.

He followed Old Fu's gaze and his eyes also fell on the blurry, indistinct Taoist in the east.

"This place is the Buddha Kingdom of Pure Land of Vajrabhairava, which was originally a boundless Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli. The reason it appears desolate and decaying is because the master of the Buddha Kingdom, Pure Land of Vajrabhairava, was personally killed by the Lord long ago."

Master Fu first bowed solemnly to the illusory figure of the Taoist priest, then looked at the old monk in the west with his eyes closed and lowered, and said slowly:
"After the Buddha Jingzang Bianji entered Nirvana, the Lord also left this place, leaving only a wisp of magic power to suppress the Buddhist kingdom. Therefore, what you see now is just an illusion."

"May I ask who this senior is?"

Chen Heng examined the portraits of past masters for a long time but could not find the corresponding one in his memory, so he asked a question.

"Everyone calls our lord Donggaozi," Old Fu said with a smile.

Donggaozi...

Chen Heng thought for a moment, then his expression changed, and he was secretly taken aback.

He rose from his seat and solemnly declared:
"It's actually this person? Wasn't it said that not long before the collapse of the Dao Court, the Ancestor Donggaozi was sent by Crown Prince Changming to Guixu to wipe out the remnants of the Shaoyuan Evil Party, and then perished together with the Evil Party's leader Shang Ni and Meishou Tai Lao?"

Even after the Great Master Daxian personally intervened, he was unable to retrieve the Dao fruit of the Donggaozi Patriarch.

So, even the records within the sect seem inaccurate?

"You are not yet a Daoist, and there are some secrets you do not yet know, which is why I asked you one more question just now."

At that time, the ancient Dao Court had not yet changed and was at its peak. Under the instruction of Emperor Dazhao, Crown Prince Changming remotely led the immortals, Buddhas, and saints of the Thunder and Fire Departments to sweep away evil influences and purify the universe. The Shaoyuan evil party was almost wiped out, and its strength was greatly reduced.

Even their so-called Nine Sage Lords, who were supposed to be their leaders, are reduced to only Shang Ni and Mei Shou Tai Lao. What great power can the remaining remnants, who barely managed to escape to the depths of Gui Xu, possibly pose?

Old Fu shook his head, as if recalling events from ancient times, sighed, and continued:
"Back then, our lord was the head of the Thunder Department's Heavenly Gang Transformation Palace. He led three million heavenly soldiers with unparalleled power and almost completely wiped out the remnants of the Shao Yuan evil party. Although Shang Ni and Mei Shou Tai Lao came out to stop him, it was to no avail."

I saw with my own eyes that after the Lord led these two away, he defeated them with great power.

Shang Ni died immediately. Although Mei Shou Tai Lao eventually escaped into the Gate of Myriad Wonders to hide, she was severely injured and her Dao Fruit was damaged. Moreover, she was in such a dangerous place, so she probably did not survive.

"The reason why our lord would use this incident to fake his death and escape, even deliberately concealing it from the Great Ancestor, and keeping you, the younger disciples of the sect, in the dark, is because both of them had a vague premonition at the time..."

Old Fu pointed upwards and said softly:
"The fate of the world is about to change!"

Old Fu's words were deep and resonant, yet they seemed to explode like a thunderbolt, sending a chill down Chen Heng's spine.

On the other side, Old Fu's voice continued to ring out.

According to him, after faking his death and escaping in the Battle of Guixu, Donggaozi has remained hidden behind the scenes.

Even in the final decisive battle at the Taichang Longting Palace, he only attacked from a distance, never revealing his true form.

After that battle, only a handful of close friends recognized Donggaozi's identity.

As for why this Pure Land Buddha confronted Donggaozi, who had been living in seclusion for many years—

According to Mr. Fu, the two did not actually have much enmity before. The reason why Jingzang Bianji Buddha went to great lengths to find Donggaozi and launched a fierce attack on him was simply because of a dispute over the Great Dao.

However, due to a miscalculation, this ancient Buddha was ultimately defeated by Donggaozi and could only pass away in despair. Even his all-knowing lamp of omniscience could not escape and remained in the Buddha's realm.

After Mr. Fu finished speaking, Chen Heng bowed and asked, puzzled:
"If it was Patriarch Donggaozi who ultimately triumphed, why was the senior trapped in the Buddhist Kingdom and even suffered personal injury? What is the connection between Daoist Kongkong and all of this?"

Old Fu sighed and said helplessly:
"After defeating the Pure Treasury Buddha, the Lord stayed here for nearly a thousand years, firstly to make up for the damage and recover from the injury, and secondly to refine the All-Knowing Lamp of Omniscience."

Just as everything was about to be accomplished, a strange old Taoist priest riding a six-tusked white elephant suddenly burst in. The master only had time to leave a trace of magic power in the Buddhist kingdom before going to fight the old Taoist priest in the outer world.

"And I was already injured in the previous battle, and then I was struck by the old Taoist's sword, so naturally I was in a very awkward situation..."

After Donggaozi hastily left the Buddhist kingdom, Master Fu also fell into a deep sleep.

During this time, seeing that Donggaozi had not returned for a long time, the all-knowing lamp of all wisdom also began to have thoughts.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the lamp spirit activated the remaining Great Purification Power of the Buddhist Kingdom, sealing off the inner and outer worlds, intending to first trap and kill Old Fu, and then call for reinforcements to slowly carry out the deed.

Under such circumstances, the two magical treasures naturally resumed their struggle.

Due to their mutual entanglements, Master Fu was unable to leave the Buddhist Kingdom and ask Yu Chen for help, while the Lamp Spirit also failed to send out its message and wait for its helper as it wished.

The two sides remained entangled for countless years. During this time, they even had a rare opportunity to join forces due to encountering a powerful external enemy. However, in the end, Master Fu prevailed because he had a thorough understanding of the Jade Treasure Spirit Elixir.

Now that Elder Fu has suppressed the Lamp Spirit, he will soon be able to completely seize half of its true consciousness in order to restore its strength and break free from the Buddhist Kingdom's confinement.

But as for why the Taoist Kongkong appeared in the situation and specifically guided Chen Heng here...

According to Master Fu, that was a thousand years ago. This person suddenly appeared in the Buddhist kingdom, startling both Master Fu and the lamp spirit. They thought they were doomed to be captured and refined by this person.

After all, he was already famous throughout the world in ancient times and was a true giant.

If the Taoist Kongkong is willing, even if Elder Fu and the Lamp Spirit put aside their old grudges, it will be of no use whatsoever; it would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!
Unexpectedly, the Taoist Kongkong, who seemed to have come here in search of something, only glanced around, pondered for a while, reached out and captured a wisp of energy, using it as a means to connect the inner and outer worlds.

Then he glanced at the two magical artifacts again, and suddenly turned around and disappeared again.

At this moment, Old Fu said to Chen Heng:
"I think the reason why this person didn't take me and the lamp spirit away might be for some other purpose, but more or less, it's also because they didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble."

After all, the Lord's magical imprint is still intact, which means that although the Lord has not yet returned, at least his life is not in danger. And the Zen temple behind the lamp spirit is not someone to be trifled with either.

Seeing Chen Heng remain silent for a moment, Old Fu chuckled and said:
"There's no point in thinking too much. In fact, whether you come here or not, that lamp spirit is destined to suffer a great loss. The Taoist Kongkong gave you a hint in just a few words. If it were me, I would do such a favor without spending any money."

"Fortune and human relationships—these are the words that the Taoist Kongkong once told me..."

Chen Heng's eyes flickered slightly, and he sighed:

"The so-called opportunity is that, taking advantage of the lamp spirit's damaged true consciousness, I can use the lamp's power to try and master the Taiyi Divine Thunder. As for the favor I'm giving to Yu Chen, it's the information that Ancestor Donggaozi is unharmed?"

Upon hearing this, Old Fu's brows twitched. He thought for a moment, and finally said:

"That makes sense. Our lord left in a hurry and did not leave any life tablet or anything like that in Xiaoming Great Swamp. So much time has passed, it is hard to guarantee that the people of Yuchen will not mistakenly believe that our lord has passed away."

However, we can discuss this later. Now that you're here, you should see what the lamp spirit looks like.

After saying this, Master Fu made a hand seal, and a great light shone forth. Instantly, the chanting of the Heavenly Dragon Zen resounded in Chen Heng's ears, shaking his heart.

Before long, a flame slowly emerged from behind Donggaozi's phantom.

(End of this chapter)